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The Chain of Command Taught by Sheikh AbdulBary Yahya

The Master Reference

Coming to Qabeelat Nurayn by way of Tawaatur

Table of Contents

Introduction..................................................................................................................... 4 The virtues of Hadeeth and it’s Sciences: ............................................................... 6 The Benefits of Studying Hadith: .............................................................................. 9 The importance of manners in seeking ‘ilm............................................................. 13 Motivation....................................................................................................................... 17 Memorization ................................................................................................................. 18 Al-Mustalah-ul-Hadeeth: An Introduction............................................................ 20 Al-Mustalah-ul-Hadeeth: An Introduction............................................................. 21 Sunnah vs Hadith ......................................................................................................... 26 Sunnah: Its Place in Relation to the Qur’an is of Three Types........................ 38 PROPHET MUHAMMAD �� و �� ا ��:The Teacher.............................................. 41 History and Compilation of the Sunnah................................................................... 51 ABU HURAYRAH – The Greatest in Hadith of All the Sahaba........................ 55 A’isha bint Abi Bakr – “Habeebat-ur-RasulAllah” ................................................ 64 Hadith Narration .......................................................................................................... 71 The Status of the Sahabah ...................................................................................... 74 Who are al-Mukhadra? ............................................................................................... 76 Jarh wa Ta’deel (Criticism of the Narrators) ...................................................... 79 Imam Bukhari – Ameer al Mumineen fil Hadith..................................................... 81 Early Collectors of Hadith......................................................................................... 87 Slavery in Islam ........................................................................................................... 89 The Golden Age of Hadith Collection: .................................................................... 92 (200 H – 300H) ............................................................................................................ 92 Al-Muwatta’ Imam Malik ............................................................................................ 92 The Man Behind Al-Muwatta’.................................................................................... 96 The Sahih Collections: ................................................................................................ 97 The Sunan Works........................................................................................................103 Sunan An-Nasa’i ..........................................................................................................107 Other Hadith Collections:......................................................................................... 110 Part II: ‘Ilm ad-Dirayah............................................................................................ 112

A Hadeeth consists of three parts:................................................................... 112 1. The Sanad......................................................................................................... 112 2. The Matn........................................................................................................... 112 3. The Taraf ......................................................................................................... 112

Hadith Methodology: ................................................................................................. 115 Classifications of Hadith ..........................................................................................120 Hadith Marfu’ – The “Elevated” Hadith ................................................................ 121 Hadith Moqoof – The “Stopped” Hadith ...............................................................125 Hadith Maqtu’ – The “Severed” Hadith .................................................................126 Hadith Classification by the Isnad Chains ...........................................................128 Hadith Classification by Levels of Reliability ......................................................133 Defective Isnad ..........................................................................................................146 Flaw in the Narrator ..................................................................................................153 Methods of Transmission of Hadith ......................................................................166 APPENDIX....................................................................................................................168 Appendix: Misconceptions/Advices........................................................................168 Was Khadija really 40? .............................................................................................169 Appendix: Sa’eed ibn Musayyab’s approach to Marriage ..................................170 Appendix: Barakah......................................................................................................172 Appendix: Justice in Islam .......................................................................................174 Appendix: Important Islamic Concepts.................................................................175 Appendix: Sheikh Abdulbary Yahya’s Fiqhi Opinions .........................................177 Appendix: Hadith exercises.....................................................................................179 Appendix: Miscellaneous ...........................................................................................182

Introduction Chain of Command, formally known as Mustalah ul Hadeeth or ‘Ilm ul

Hadeeth, is a course regarding the Sciences of Hadeeth. Sheikh AbdulBary Yahya divided the course into two major sections corresponding to each weekend. The first weekend essentially covers the Scholars of Hadith, otherwise known in Arabic as the Muhadithoon. The second weekend is dedicated to the actual science of scrutinizing and analyzing hadeeth.

Allah (swt) has made a promise to preserve the Qur’an, Surah Hijr,

Verse 9.

)�(ِإ�� َ�ْ�ُ! َ� �ْ�َ�� ا��ِّْآَ� َوِإ�� َ�ُ� َ�َ��ِ�ُ��َن Verily We: it is we who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'ân) and

surely, we will Guard it (from corruption) . Part of the preservation of the Qur’an is the preservation of the

Sunnah of the Prophet �� This is because the Sunnah explains how .�� ا� �� و the Qur’an is understood and applied. It is in this course we examine how exactly the second source of legislation, Sunnah, was preserved.

The means by which Allah �� ن و�� has preserved the uٍnnah is through

the Muhadeethoon. The Qur’an has come to us by way of Tawaatur, and its obvious authenticity is not an issue of discussion. As for the Sunnah, many do not understand it’s method of preservation and authenticity. Therefore, it is essential for us to spend time learning about the preservation of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah �� By examining the efforts and .�� ا� �� و lives of the famous scholars of Hadeeth, we get a closer look at their dedication and accomplishment in preserving the Sunnah.

Linguistically, Mustalah is defined as “terminology.” In

part two, we will, in sha Allah give the technical definition of Mustalah.

The Sciences of Hadeeth is a very important branch of Islamic

knowledge. Not only for the reasons of preserving the Sunnah, but also because other Islamic Sciences depend upon it. For example: Fiqh. Fiqhi rulings are extracted from the Qur’an and Hadeeth. Much of the ikhtilaaf

(disagreements) of the Fuqaha (Islamic juridical scholars) have are due to their disagreement on if a Hadeeth is acceptable or not to apply in rulings. One faqih (juridical scholar) might have more stringent criteria on hadith authenticity than another faqih. As a result, we see that mustalah is a science that affects other Islamic sciences.

The virtues of Hadeeth and it’s Sciences: Consider the following ahadeeth:

Muawiyah ibn Abee Sufyan: Rasool Allah �� said: There will �� ا� �� و be a group of my ummah that will continue to carry out the commands of Allah until the Day of Judgment… [Bukhari and Muslim]

‘Umar �� said: A �� ا� �� و �� said that the Messenger of Allah ر�� ا� �group of my ummah will continue to be victorious carrying out the commands of Allah until the Hour.

Al Fadl ibn Ziyad a student of Imam Ahmad said that the Imam narrated this hadeeth: There will be a group of my Ummah that will continue to adhere to the truth until the Day of Judgment.

Looking at these ahadeeth, we are informed of the good news that there will always be people following the straight path until the Day of Judgment. But which group is the Prophet �� ?referring to in these ahadeeth �� ا� �� و Some famous scholars of Islam are reported to have given interpretations to the people being referred to herein. Imam Bukhari and Abdullah ibn Mubarak both have said these hadeeth refer to the Muhadithoon. Additionally, Al-Fadhl ibn Ziyad, student of Imam Ahmed, heard Imam Ahmed mentioning the third hadith above and commenting: Imam Ahmad said: “I do not know who this could be other than the people of hadeeth.” So does this mean that everyone who studies other branches of Islam is deviant and misguided? Of course not! What is meant is that people are dependent upon the scholars of hadeeth to follow the authentic Sunnan of the Prophet �� The deviant groups are the ones who do not care .�� ا� �� و about preserving the Sunnah and reject hadeeth in light of their own whims and desires. Anyone who rejects hadeeth or the people of hadeeth will eventually go astray. If one were to leave the hadeeth, he would no longer be a part of this “victorious group.” People of Hadeeth are not just the scholars of hadith. They are those who study the hadeeth, deem their study

important, and put what they learn into practice. These are the upright people and will remain on the straight path. A famous scholar of Islam, Ali ibn Al Madini, was reported to have said:

“Understanding the meaning of Hadeeth is half of knowledge and knowing how to differentiate between the Hadeeth is half of knowledge.”

This statement emphasizes the virtue of the person knowledgeable in hadeeth and its sciences. The Sciences of Hadith is entirely unique to Islamic civilization. No other, religion, society, or culture has ever been exposed to such a scrutinizing and precise methodology of preserving statements of people. Its unique nature has however been the source of many attacks by Orientalists. Because of their lack of understanding of this detailed branch of Islam, ignorance is runs throughout all of their arguments and publications in harsh attacks against the Sunnah of the Prophet �� .�� ا� �� و The simple fact that Mustalah ul Hadeeth is a unique phenomenon to Islam necessitates us, as Muslims, to become educated in this area and subsequently eliminate the many misconceptions that are found in the minds of the Orientalists and the ignorant masses. The virtues of hadeeth are summarized below: Finally, Mustalah ul Hadith has allowed the Muslims to protect their Deen (religion)). Without this science, we would be unaware of what authentic statements have come from the Prophet. We would be in the same predicament as the Christians are, that is a religion with no verifiable doctrine traceable back to ‘Eesa ا%$#م ��. But by the grace of Allah Almighty, we have a systemic process to scrutinize and classify every single statement of the Prophet �� .and an indisputable doctrine in the Qur’an �� ا� �� و Additionally, with this science, the fabricated and weak ahadeeth used by deviant sects of Islam can be identified and discarded. As the famous scholar Muhammad ibn Sireen said,

“This knowledge is your deen, so be careful of whom you take your deen from.” Without the hadeeth sciences, we would not be able to distinguish the fabricated from authentic traditions. We furthermore would not be able to tell who is upon the correct path and who is not. The summary of the virtues of Mustalah ul Hadeeth are summarized below:

The virtues of Hadeeth and its Sciences: 1. The Muhaddith and his discipline keeps the ummah on the path of truth. 2. The Hadeeth and its sciences comprise the majority of knowledge 3. Mustalah ul Hadeeth is a unique branch of knowledge to Islam alone. 4. Mustalah ul Hadeeth safeguards our Deen.

The Benefits of Studying Hadith: It should be obvious that studying hadith is beneficial for any Muslim to do. But for the sake of enumeration, there are several explicit benefits that come along with the study of hadith.

1. One is able to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet �� As .�� ا� �� و Muslims, we are required to follow the Sunnah, so this benefit does not need further elaboration.

2. One gets a chance to extract rulings, lessons, and morals to inculcate in your daily life. For example, consider the famous hadith, “Al-Mu’min miraatul Mu’min,” which means, the believer is the mirror of the believer. If one studied this hadith, and understood its implications, they could use it to become more receptive to advice from their friends. Applying this hadith to themselves, they would try not to feel offended if someone criticized them, even if the criticism was harsh.

3. An acquired ability to understand Arabic fluently. This benefit pertains more to non-Arabs. The Qur’an and hadeeth are only available in Arabic. English translations are not considered Qur’an or hadeeth. As a result, the student who avidly studies and memorizes the ahadeeth of the Prophet �� is in turn learning the pure �� ا� �� و Arabic language, known as classical fus-ha. Of course in memorizing the hadeeth, one must expend efforts to understand the meanings of them in Arabic.

4. The very important miracle of “Jawaamay al Kalaam” is recognized. One of the miracles given to the Prophet �� was his amazing �� ا� �� و speaking ability. He used very few words in his speech, yet the meaning of those few words are always packed with meaning. What a layman would take paragraphs to say could be said in a couple words by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The distinction and precision of the Prophet’s speech indeed adds to his nobility and honor as a respectable man, and of course as the Messenger of Allah �� .�� ا� �� و

5. A fifth benefit to hadeeth study is the frequency of sending salawat upon the Prophet (pbuh). Sending Salaat (prayers) and Salaam (peace) is in obligation upon all muslims.

(i.e. by saying, “sallAllahu Alai Wa Salam,

or “assalaamualaka ayyuhan-Nabi, wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu;”

or “Allahuma Sali ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala ibrahim wa ‘ala aali ibrahim, innaka hameedun majeed. Allahuma Baarik ‘ala Muhammad, wa ‘ala aali Muhammad, kama barakta ‘ala ibrahim, wa ‘ala aali ibrahim, innaka hameedun majeed.”)

Ibn Mas’ud narrated that the Prophet �� ,said �� ا� �� و

“The person that will be closest to me on the Day of Judgment is the one who sends Salawat upon me the most.” [Reported by Tirmidhi].

Whenever a hadeeth is studied, the Prophet’s name �� must �� ا� �� و be mentioned. And whenever the Prophet’s name �� is �� ا� �� و mentioned, Salawat is sent upon him. So as a result, you will find yourself sending Salawat upon the Messenger of Allah �� so �� ا� �� و much more just through the study of hadeeth. Out of all the scholars of the various Islamic sciences, only the Muhaddith has the opportunity to send Salawat upon the Prophet �� .so much �� ا� �� و As a side note related to sending Salawat, Salawat is sent to Prophet Muhammad no matter where you are in the world. You do not need to be close to the grave of the Prophet for him to receive your salawat. Prophet Muhammad �� is in the life of the Barzakh, a life �� ا� �� و that is unknown to any human being alive today. It is a different place with different system of rules. The life of the Barzakh is similar to a husband and wife sleeping in the same bed at night. The wife has a nightmare, and the husband is having a pleasant dream. While both are physically unaffected by each other, both are experiencing totally different sensations. Likewise, it is not the strength of your voice that will reach the Prophet �� Angels are specifically .�� ا� �� و assigned to collect the Salawat and deliver it to the Prophet ا� �� و ��. In fact, some narrations of this point state that even the name of the person sending Salawat is delivered to Prophet Muhammad ا� �� there is ,�� ا� �� و �� In sending salawat upon the Prophet .�� و wisdom in being able to do it anywhere in the world. For if it could only be done next to the grave of the Prophet �� imagine ,�� ا� �� و

how crowded the grave would be with people trying to send Salawat. And in such commotion, it might look as if the people are going to the grave to ask the Prophet �� for �� ا� �� و something as if he is able to hear and grant the requests. We seek refuge from anything even close to this; for this is clear shirk with Allah. By allowing Salawat to be sent from anywhere, the ummah is actually being safeguarded from committing shirk with Allah.

6. Closely related to this benefit is the 6th benefit that the

Muhadeethoon will have lightened faces on the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet �� said, "May Allah enlighten face of person who �� ا� �� و hears from me, and narrates it just the way he heard it from me, because maybe the person he narrated it to is more understanding of the Hadith." (Reported in Tirmidhi, Ibn Mas’ud, Sahih and Hasan)”

And again, what person other than the Muhaddith is engaging in the practice of narrating precisely what the Prophet �� stated? We know that �� ا� �� و the Du’a of the Prophets are answered, and in light of our Prophet’s Du’a ��

و ��ا� �� , the sincere and precise transmitters of ahadeeth will have lightened faces on the Day of Judgment. The two famous Sufyans, Sufyan at-Thawri and Sufyan Ibn Uyaynah commented on this hadeeth saying,

“We see the Ahl al Bida’ with darkened faces and the Ahl al Sunnah with light on their faces.”

We also learn from the Hadith that as Muslims, we should always take care in narrating Hadeeth exactly as Prophet Muhammad �� .said it �� ا� �� و

7. A final benefit to studying hadeeth of the Prophet ��ا� �� و is that you are contributing to the preservation of Islam. Islam has been preserved not only in writing, but through oral transmission. That is, millions of people have preserved the Qur’an and the Sunnah in their memory and orally transmitted it from generation to generation. Not only this, but much of the understanding of the Sunnah is still found

with the scholars of Islam. In the study of the Sunnah, time must be spent with the shayookh and ‘Ulema to obtain the knowledge of the Sunnah that has been passed down since the beginning stages of Islam. So simply stated, by engaging in hadeeth study, you are insha’Allah being rewarded for partaking in the preservation of Islam!

The summary of the benefits are listed below:

Benefits to Studying Hadeeth: 1. Follow in the footsteps of the Prophet �� ا� �� و 2. Gain the ability to extract rulings from the Sunnah 3. Learn classical Arabic 4. Realize the miracle of "jawaamay al kalam" 5. Remember to send Salawat upon the Prophet �� .�� ا� �� و 6. The Muhadithoon will have their faces brightened on the Day of

Judgment 7. Be part of the preservation of Islam

The importance of manners in seeking ‘ilm

Akhlaq:

In most books of Mustalah, you will find a chapter dedicated to the etiquettes and manners of the people of hadeeth and the students of hadeeth. Thus, it is important to understand the importance of Akhlaq and Adhab in studying hadeeth knowledge, and as Muslims in general.

As stated in the introduction, the first weekend of this course is dedicated to the study of the scholars of hadeeth that contributed in some way to Mustalah. We are not examining the lives of these scholars for purposes of entertainment. The goal is to try to inculcate the manners and conduct they had into our lives. Their adhab and akhlaq were some of the reasons why Allah blessed them with the knowledge that they had, and in order for us to be even remotely successful as them, we should try to benefit from their biographies as much as possible. Much of the etiquettes we will see in these Heroes of Islam cannot be found or classified as being Halaal or Haraam. Manners are simply something that does not need a proof from Shari’ah to verify. It is something innate to human beings and can be recognized by even the rudest of people. But if you look to the greatest generation of Muslims, The Sahaba, you will find that they had the most noble of manners and etiquettes. The Prophet ا� �� had the most exemplary manners and character of any person in all of �� و history. He �� ".said: "I have been sent to perfect good manners �� ا� �� و Another example of excellence in akhlaq is found with the sahabi Abu Ayub Al Ansari �� was waiting in Medina for the ر�� ا� �� Abu Ayub al Ansari .ر�� ا� �arrival of the Prophet �� from Makkah. While the masjid was being �� ا� �� و built, the Prophet �� and his wife stayed at the house of Abu Ayub �� ا� �� و ��ر�� ا� � for the six months the Masjid was being built.. Abu Ayub’s �� ر�� ا� �

house had more than one floor, and since Abu Ayub �� was sleeping ر�� ا� �upstairs already, the Prophet �� .and his wife stayed downstairs �� ا� �� و One night, Abu Ayub ر�� ا� � woke up in a sweat. He told his wife to move to the side of the room. He exclaimed, “How can we stay above the Prophet of Allah �� ا� told the Prophet ر�� ا� �� The next day, Abu Ayub ”?�� ا� �� و

�� said, “It is okay. People visit �� ا� �� و �� his feelings and the Prophet �� و me often and it is more convenient for me to be downstairs.” But Abu Ayub �� still was feeling very uncomfortable inside and as a result, the ر�� ا� �Prophet �� .ر�� ا� �� moved upstairs to ease Abu Ayub �� ا� �� و Traditionally in Islam, manners are the first thing learned. Good manners create the bedrock for knowledge and ultimately are a prerequisite for knowledge. Sheikh AbdulBary Yahya shares his story of his students in Cambodia compared to his students in America. “In Cambodia, it only took six months for my students to understand and be able to communicate in Arabic. Some went directly into the University of Medina after only one year of Arabic with me. Whenever I would enter my classroom, all the students are quiet even before I enter. All my students would finish the homework no matter how late they would have to stay up at night. Compare this with my students in Seattle. When I started in Seattle, I was so excited about teaching the kids in America, but I noticed that the kids were so misbehaved and causing mischief. So what’s the difference? In Cambodia, they knew manners and respected the teacher. In America, the kids aren’t taught manners and subsequently don’t respect knowledge or the teacher. So what I did was switch my course from Seerah to Akhlaq and just started teaching them manners. Without manners, there is no way I can get through to my students.” Other famous scholars have been attributed with statements and actions reflecting the superb manners necessary to a seeker of knowledge. Imam Shafi’ is credited with following statement:

“When you seek knowledge, make your etiquettes your dough and the knowledge is the salt.”

Imam Shafi’i also said, “I used to be in front of Imam Malik when he was reciting hadith and was turning pages so softly to not disturb my Sheikh.”

Subhan Allah, nowadays, we stroll into class late, slurping on a Starbucks frappucino, and plop our feet onto the chair. Such a disconnect exists between us and the manners of Imam Shafi’. The Mother of Imam Maalik was aware of the importance of akhlaq and emphasized it to her son. When she sent her son to study with Rabia tur Ra’I, she told him,

“learn from his manners first.” When Imam Ahmad was in Baghdad, he shared with us a tidbit of his akhlaq with his Sheikh As-Shafi’:

“My Sheikh (Imam Shafi’) lived in Baghdad 3 alleyways away, but I couldn't straighten my legs towards his house.”

Such sensitivity and awareness to akhlaq can only be found in such examples in these great scholars of Islam. One of the greatest Scholars of Islam, Abdullah ibn Mubarak made a statement in his time regarding manners and conduct in general.

“I went out seeking knowledge and I found some people with knowledge. And I went out seeking adhab and I found that the people that had adhab were extinct.”

If Abdullah ibn Mubarak was having difficulty finding akhlaq and adhab in the 2nd century of Islam, then how would he have considered the conduct that exists today in the seekers of knowledge? The statements of these scholars should wake us up as students of knowledge, and make us pray to Allah �� ن و�� and try our hardest to become individuals with exemplary morals and behavior. The lackadaisicalness and sheer laziness that we see especially in the seekers of knowledge in America needs to be addressed and improved. Sheikh AbdulBary even mentioned some of the halaqas and their strictness in

maintaining good manners. In some circles of knowledge, if a person looked to his right and left, he would be kicked out of the halaqah. Keep in mind that manners are not black and white. Manners are often dependent upon the culture of the society. For example, in some parts of the world, it is considered very disrespectful to cross your legs in front of the elders. However, in America, this is done without hesitation. So the key point with manners is it varies with each culture and it is important to be well versed and aware of what the culture deems to be respectful. A final point regarding manners is to appreciate the people who show respect to others and to the Deen in general. Often, we might get annoyed with a person who are not upholding all the commands in Shari’ah, such as hijab, or growing a beard. But then when this same Muslimah hears the Azhan or Qur’an, she puts on a hijab out of respect. It is a foolish thing to criticize this person for doing so. After all, which is better, a woman who does not wear the hijab who puts it on out of respect, or a woman who does not wear the hijab who does not put it on our of respect? And in these cases, one should not forget to exude excellent behavior when we correct others and enjoin good and forbid evil. Especially when it comes to someone with poor akhlaq, it would be silly to correct people in a harsh manner, showing the advisee that you have no akhlaq yourself. May Allah make us of those who have good character for His sake alone. Ameen.

Motivation

Not only did the Muhaditheen have the akhlaq and adhab, but they were motivated to seek knowledge of Hadeeth. Their certainty they had in Allah and his religion motivated them to travel large and wide distances in search of authentic traditions of the Prophet �� They were .�� ا� �� و certain of the reward they would receive for the efforts that were expended for the sake of Allah. Some of the scholars would travel by foot or camel hundreds and hundreds of miles to hear one Hadith directly from a Sahabi, even though they might have already heard it from another less reliable source. This type of motivation cannot be found without the certainty in Allah, his religion, and his rewards. Likewise, we too should expend efforts in seeking out the knowledge of the Deen. Alhumdulillah, we do not have the hardships facing the earlier scholars. Knowledge is much more readily available. Seeking knowledge nowadays could be as easy as going to a website or listening to a lecture online. Ironically, knowledge is so available, but we are not very motivated to seek out the knowledge. The thirst for the knowledge is all but gone. As seekers of knowledge, we should ask Allah for the thirst for knowledge that the early scholars of Islam had.

As for traveling to seek knowledge, know that the process of traveling is ibaadah (worship) in and of itself. The scholars knew this, and they were not deterred by traveling long distances for even little knowledge. One should keep this in mind and not shy away from taking a road trip with some friends to acquire some sacred knowledge of the Deen. But remember not to take this to extremes. Do not go all the way to California for a Seerah class when you have a Seerah classes going on right at your own Masjid!

Maybe, the following Hadith of the Prophet �� will help us to �� ا� �� و acquire that motivation to seek Islamic knowledge if it has not hit our hearts yet.

“Whoever treads a path to seek knowledge, Allah will make the path easy for him to Paradise”

Memorization Imam Bukhari was able to glance at a page of hadeeth once and he would memorize it. Imam Shafi’ee had to cover the notes in the margins of the texts he read because if he did not, he would memorize them and it would conflict with what he was trying to memorize. Imam Ash-Shu'ba - would cover his ears when he went through the market because he was afraid of memorizing the fruitless conversations which took place there. Imam Ahmad memorized one million hadith just as well as the layman memorizes Surah Ikhlaas. The question arises; how did these great scholars memorize so effortlessly? There is no doubt that these abilities to memorize are of the gifts and blessings given to them by Allah �� ن و�)# But there are some secondary factors, which helped the scholars to achieve such a precise memory. One reason why scholars memorized so easily was that they respected the knowledge. To them, the knowledge of hadith was worth more than gold. They valued the knowledge in the light that it deserves. Because it was important to them, it became something that took priority in their brain. This is just as one would remember the name of a potential spouse after speaking to her only once, but keep forgetting the brother or sister you bumped into at the masjid occasionally. Likewise, we see kids memorizing trivia facts about their favorite basketball and football players without even trying. But if you ask them about Abu Sa’eed al Khudri, they might be clueless. The problem is simple. We simply do not put enough importance or priority in our minds on the Deen. The respect for knowledge is one of the contributing factors in the ability to retain the knowledge, as the scholars practiced. Here in the west, people are taught to understand and not memorize. Understanding is very important, but a void exists in this culture with the memorization ability of the majority. Memorizing is a skill that improves

with frequency. In other words, the more one attempts to memorize, the more efficient one will become in memorizing. One can liken memorizing to weightlifting. It might be very difficult for the person who never lifted weights before to work out. But for the person who has been doing it for several years consistently, he will find it very easy and even enjoyable. Memorizing is simply another skill that becomes better with practice. Consider the low percentage of the brain that people use (~12%), then we see everyone has great potential. Memorizing helps increase our memory and capacity, not vice versa. The lesson to draw from this point is to try to memorize everything you come across for the sake of becoming a better memorizer. Rather than mentally “marking it for deletion” an ayah or hadeeth because it’s available in a book, try memorizing for the sake of improving your memory. We might think that when a person ages, their memory goes down the drain. But why then do you see so many shayookh who are very elderly in age, but very sharp in their memory? The reason is simple. Old age is not the only factor to memory depletion, accumulation of sins affects this as well. The more sins you commit, the worse your memory becomes. Amazingly, Imam Shafi’i was not content with his memory. He complained to his teacher Wakia ibn Jarrah about this.

“I complained to my teacher about my bad memory, and he told me to stay away from sins, for indeed the knowledge of Allah is light, and the light of Allah is not given to sinners.”

We see here that there is a connection between ones memory and the sins that he/she commits. We all commit sins, but it is up to us to try our hardest to avoid all we can and to continue to repent to Allah �� ن و�)#. The Qur’an and the Sunnah does not mix at all with sins. They are repellents of one another.

Another way to memorize is to have khushu' in prayer. This has been scientifically proven by non-muslims. In an article that Sheikh AbdulBary Yahya came across less than a year ago, it stated that "conscious meditation" is the way to increase memorization ability. In Islamic terminology, “conscious meditation” is nothing other than khushu’ in Salah.

There is no denying that memorization is part of our deen. Every Muslim is required to recite from memory at least some portion of the Qur’an in their Salah. Notice also that the Prophet’s �� hadeeth earlier �� ا� �� و specifically mentioned the face being enlightened of the ones who repeat exactly what he �� said. This implies memorization of the sayings �� ا� �� و of the Prophet �� .�� ا� �� و A final point here related to memorizing is preserving the knowledge we seek. Sheikh Abdulbary’s advice is that people get in the habit of taking notes whenever we are seeking Islamic knowledge. Also, when they are studying the notes that they write down, they should put ourselves in the mindset that they will be teaching the knowledge to someone else the very next month. In that way, they will find themselves retaining the knowledge that they come across. Below is a summary of the ways to improve memory.

Ways to Improve Memory: 1. Developing Respect for the Knowledge 2. Memorize Frequently 3. Avoid Sins 4. Khushu’ in Prayer

Al-Mustalah-ul-Hadeeth: An Introduction There are two broad in the sciences of hadeeth.

‘Ilm ar-Riwaayah – linguistically: “knowledge of the narrations.”

‘Ilm ad-Diraayah – knowledge of the chains and conditions of hadith ‘Ilm ar-Riwaayah refers to the textual study of hadeeth. It is knowledge of what the hadeeth is saying along with the benefits and rules that can be extracted from it. ‘Ilm aD-diraayah is the study of the chain of the hadeeth, and the principles that are used in determining the acceptability or unacceptability of a hadeeth. To understand the relationship between Riwaayah and Diraayah, consider the context of fiqh. Fiqh is similar to ‘Ilm ar-Riwaayah just as Usool-al-Fiqh is similar to ‘Ilm ad-Diraayah. The practical aspect is the hadeeth itself and what we can learn from it, and this is known as ‘Ilm ar-Riwaayah. The complicated principles behind the scenes of the hadeeth which determines acceptance or rejection is ‘Ilm ad-Diraayah. Sunnah Sunnah is a term that has different meanings and different implication for each branch of Islamic science. Before explaining what a hadeeth is, one must understand what the Sunnah is according to the different disciplines of Islam. According to the Scholars of Al-Luga (Linguists)

� Sunnah is either: � A Way or Path, regardless of if it is good or bad � Manner/Habit/Conduct

� As an example of this usage of “Sunnah”, is it is a Sunnah of mine that when I wake up, I brush my teeth every morning.

According to the Muhaditheen (Scholars of Hadith): � Sunnah is any statement, action, approval, physical attribute,

manner, or conduct of Prophet Muhammad �� both before �� ا� �� و and after revelation.

� Some Usoolis add to the definition: “and also the Sunnah of the Khulafah ar-Raashideen. (The 4 rightly guided Caliphs). This is done because the actions of the Khulafah can be used as legislation.

� An example of the Muhaddith usage of Sunnah is: o The Prophet � �� و had curly hair and his hair went �� ا�

down to his shoulders. The Prophet �� had broad �� ا� �� و shoulders.

It’s important to note that even something attributed to the Prophet ا� �� ,before revelation can be used as Daleel (Proof) in Shariah. However �� و any of the above defined aspects of Sunnah attributed to the Prophet after revelation would abrogate and deem the former null and void. According to the Usoolis (Scholars of the Principles in Shariah)

� Sunnah is any statement, action, or approval, of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) after revelation.

� Some Usoolis add to the definition: “and also the Sunnah of the Khulafah ar-Raashideen. (The 4 rightly guided Caliphs). This is done because the actions of the khulafah can be used as legislation, using the following hadeeth as Proof:

“Follow the My Sunnah, and the Sunnah of the 4 righteous khulafah after me.” -Prophet Muhammad �� ا� �� و

An example of the Usooli usage of Sunnah is: “Made permissible for us are two types of fish and two types of blood…..” [Bulugh al-Maram] Notice that the Usooli definition of Sunnah is the same as the Muhaddith definition minus the physical attributes of the Prophet �� and also �� ا� �� و subtracting anything that happened to Muhammad �� before �� ا� �� و becoming a Prophet. This is because the scholars of Usool are only concerned with aspects that affect the general principles of Shari’ah. Physical attributes of the Prophet �� before Prophethood does not �� ا� �� و have any weight in legislations found in the Shari’ah so this is left out. But

the Muhaditheen are concerned with anything pertaining to the Prophet �� .so they include what the Usoolis have omitted ,ا� �� و According to the Fuqaha (Scholars of Jurisprudence)

� Sunnah is one of the 5 rulings of deeds that you get reward for if you do, but you do not get any punishment if you leave it.

� The 5 rulings of deeds are: o Fardh – Required o Sunnah – Rewarded, but not mandatory o Mubah – Permissible o Makruh – Disliked o Haraam – Forbidden

� The Fuqaha also consider Sunnah to be the opposite of Fardh. This is because on a larger scale, the Fuqaha categorize all actions as something you must do, and something you do not have to do. If this schema is used, we find that Fardh is the only type of action that must be done while Sunnah, Mubah, Makruh, and Haraam are all on the other side of the scale as deeds that do not have to be done. If this categorization is used, then we understand why Sunnah is the opposite of fardh according to the Fuqaha.

� Example of a Sunnah ruling according to the Fuqaha: Praying 2 rakats before Dhuhr is Sunnah according to the majority of Fuqaha.

According to the Scholars of Aqeedah (Creed)

• Sunnah is the opposite of bida’a (innovations in religion) Hadith: “Whomsoever shows people a sunnah, whoever follows that path will have the same reward as the person that showed him without his reward decreasing in any way.

The Five definitions of Sunnah are summarized below: 1. Linguistic – A path or way of conduct 2. Hadith – Any statement, action, approval, physical attribute, manner, or

conduct of Prophet Muhammad �� both before and after �� ا� �� و revelation.

3. Usool – Any statement, action, or approval, of Prophet Muhammad ا� �� .after revelation �� و

4. Fuqaha – One of the 5 rulings of deeds that you get reward for if you do, but you do not get any punishment if you leave it. The opposite of Fardh

5. Aqeedah – The opposite of bida’a

Out of all the different usages of “Sunnah”, the Muhaddith definition is the most comprehensive. It includes the widest variety of aspects pertaining to the Prophet ا� �� It could also be said that these elements could be . �� و considered the five types of hadeeth. To better understand each element of the Sunnah, explanations and examples of ahadeeth of each type are defined below:

Statement: Something the Prophet �� literally said. We find that �� ا� �� و the majority of ahadeeth that exist are actual statements of the Prophet �� .�� ا� �� و Example: “Actions are only by intentions...” -Prophet Muhammad �� ا� �� و

Action: a companion saw the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam performing an action. We find that the second largest amount of ahadeeth preserved are actions performed by the Prophet (pbuh). Example: Ibn ‘Umar: I got up on the house of Hafsa and I saw the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam urinating, standing, facing Jerusalem.

Approvals: An action, or statement that took place during the time of the Prophet and was known to the Prophet (pbuh) in which there was no objection. Because the Prophet remained silent, this is considered a tacit form of acceptance of the action or statement of a sahabah. One might ask the question, what if a sahaba did something that the Prophet didn’t see or was unaware of? To address this, we know that Allah �� ن و�)# sees everything, and if there was something that needed to be addressed, Allah would have revealed Qur’an to the Prophet (pbuh). Example: Anas ibn Malik said, we used to practice cortus interruptus while the Qur’an was still be revealed. Example 2: Khalid ibn Waleed �� ا� He was eating with the Prophet :ر�� ا� �� with other companions in a far away place away from Medina and �� و Makkah. The host brought some food. One of the things he brought was a Thub, a large type of lizard. Khalid was eating it and others were eating it but he noticed that the Prophet �� was not eating it but he was not �� ا� �� و saying anything. Khalid asked the Prophet �� is it haraam. The �� ا� �� و Prophet �� .said No, it just is not the food of my people �� ا� �� و *Note that in this Hadith of Khalid ibn Waleed �� even if Khalid did ,ر�� ا� �not ask the Prophet about the lizard, it still would have been halaal because the Prophet �� .remained silent �� ا� �� و

Physical Attribute: A description of some particular characteristic of the Prophet �� .�� ا� �� و Example: Hadith: The Prophet had curly hair and his hair went down to his shoulders. The Prophet �� .had broad shoulders �� ا� �� و

Manner/Conduct: This aspect pertains to a mode of behavior or character trait of the Prophet �� .�� ا� �� و Example: Aisha said, "The Prophet �� .never complained about food �� ا� �� و if he liked it, he would eat it, if he didn't like it, he would leave it."

Sunnah vs Hadith What exactly is a hadith? Is it the same thing as Sunnah? In some contexts, hadeeth and sunnah are used interchangeably. For example, if someone were to say our religion is to follow the Qur’an and Hadith, this would be equivalent to saying “follow the Qur’an and Sunnah.” But to be more precise, a distinction should be made between the two. Hadith is linguistically defined as:

• “Speech,” or • “Something new”

Both of these definitions are related because when someone speaks, something new coms from the person’s mouth. Even if they repeat something over and over again, the latest repetition still would literally be a new statement, because it occurred at a different time, with different pronunciation, etc. Accordingly to Islamic terminology, Hadith is defined as:

• The means by which the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah �� ا� �� و reaches us.

The Hadith is the vehicle by which the Sunnah reaches us since we were not present at the time of the Prophet �� ,With this understanding .�� ا� �� و one can see that it is impossible to have a Dha’if (weak) Sunnah, because any Sunnah is something in reality attributed to the Prophet �� But it .�� ا� �� و is possible to have Dha’if hadeeth, because the hadeeth may not have preserved authentically and as a result, we are unsure if it in fact went back to the Prophet �� .�� ا� �� و The Sunnah: Its Authority and Status in Islam The Sunnah of the Prophet �� is the second source of legislation in �� ا� �� و Islam after the Qur’an. As such, we know it must be from Allah, since Allah is the Rabb, the One who has sole right to legislate. Proof of this is found in the Qur’an, in Surah Haqqah.

)�(َ'� َ,+� َ��ِ*ُ(ُ)ْ� َوَ'� َ&َ�ى )�(َوَ'� 0َْ�ِ/ُ. َ�ِ! اْ�َ-َ�ى

)�(ِإْن ُهَ� ِإ3 َوْ*2ٌ �0َُ*�

2. Your companion (Muhammad �� has neither gone astray nor (�� ا� �� و has erred. 3. Nor does He speak of (his own) desire. 4. It is only an Inspiration that is inspired. This verse proves that the Sunnah is also a revelation from Allah, just as the Qur’an is. It also proves that the Prophet � ا� �� و is ma’soom (infallible) when it comes to matters of religion. So both the Qur’an and Sunnah need to be taken in their entirety in order to follow Islam properly. In fact, it is impossible to act upon Islam unless you act upon the Sunnah. This is because the Qur’an contains in it general principles and guidelines that requires the Sunnah as a source to further explain the points made in the Qur’an. The Qur’an needs clarification, which comes from the Sunnah, whereas the Sunnah is generally clear and does not need additional explanation. Taken together, one can successfully implement Islam the way it was intended to be. The Sunnah is so important in fact, that a famous scholar, Imam al-Awzai commented,

“The Qur’an is more in need of the Sunnah than the Sunnah is in need of the Qur’an.”

Again, Al-Awzai says this because of the general nature of the Qur’an, which makes it necessary to look to the Sunnah for further clarification. Imam Maalik eloquently described the importance of the Sunnah as well.

“The Sunnah is like the Arc of Nuh: whoever boards it will be saved and whoever stays behind will be drowned.”

There is ijma’ (consensus) amongst the traditional scholars is that the Qur’an and Sunnah are both required to implement Islam completely. Yet, many misunderstandings arise when it comes to the Sunnah. Some less learned people claim that religious guidance only comes from following the Qur’an. They say that the Qur’an is from Allah, and the Sunnah is from a man, and since the latter is prone to mistakes it should not be followed. This argument comes from an ideology that is termed “Qur’aniyoon.” This ideology, along with its adherents in reality is far from the Qur’an. This is because the Qur’an itself orders the Muslims

to to follow the Prophet �� Additionally, this is not commanded .�� ا� �� و once or twice. Rather, there are many verses addressing this issue that it is impossible to overlook. Consider the following: Surah Hashr, Verse 7:

ِ�ِ� ِ'ْ! َأْهِ+ اْ�ُ>َ�ى َ�ِ��ِ� َوِ��ُ��ِل َوِ�ِ�ي اْ�ُ>9َ�ْ� َواْ�َ�َ;�َ'� َواْ�َ:�8َِآ�ِ! َوا9ِْ! ا��8ِ(�ِ+ َآ2ْ 3 0َُ)�َن َ'� َأَ��َء ا��ُ� َ�َ�� َرُ��وُ@ َوَ'� َ�َ-�ُآْ� َ�ْ�ُ� َ��ْ�َ;ُ-�ا َوا?�ُ>�ا ا��ُAُ�َ ُآُ� ا��ُ��ُل�?َB �'َُ)ْ� َو�َ��ِء ِ'ْ�ِ&ْC9َْ�َ! ا Eً�َِب ُدو�

In fact, there is no Ayah in the Qur’an that mentions obedience to Allah except that it mentions that it also mentions obedience the messenger ا� �� What is more surprising is that sometimes, Allah says to obey the .�� و Messenger of Allah �� alone without mentioning the obedience of �� ا� �� و Allah! The Qur’an mentions the roles of the Prophet �� in the following �� ا� �� و verse.

The Qur’an leaves no ambiguity that the Prophet �� was sent not �� ا� �� و just to recite the Qur’an, but to teach us the wisdom, how to apply the verses, and how to use the Qur’an to purify our souls.

The Roles of the Prophet �� :regarding the Qur’an �� ا� �� و 1. Reciting the Qur’an 1. Teach the Qur’an 2. Teach the Hikmah (how to apply the verses through the Sunnah) 3. Purifying the Hearts

The word Hikmah (wisdom) has different interpretations by the Mufassiroon (scholars of Tafseer). Linguistically, Hikmah means to put everything in its rightful place. Some say that Hikmah, as used in the Qur’an, is actually referring to the Sunnah of the Messenger �� Others say that .�� ا� �� و hikmah is doing something the right time, the right place, to the right people, in the right way. The following hadeeth is an example of how the Prophet �� taught a sahabi the “hikmah” in how to apply the �� ا� �� و Qur’an properly.

Adi Bin Haatim: During Ramadan he would put two threads under his pillow, a black and white because Allah says in Qur’an: “Eat and drink until it is clear to you the white thread and the black thread.” He would eat until he could tell the black and white threads apart. One day he met the Prophet �� said, “you have a gigantic �� ا� �� و �� and the Prophet �� ا� �� و pillow. I heard you put the black and white threads under your pillow.” Adi asked, “What?” The Prophet �� said, “Because the black and �� ا� �� و white threads are not those of our clothes but are the lines of the horizons. When the horizon changes from black to white it is fajr time, so stop eating. There are numerous examples that could be brought forth making it clear that the Qur’an needs the Sunnah to further explain it. If a person were to base his actions on the Qur’an alone he would not be able to understand or apply the rulings of Qur’an, as many require the Sunnah to clarify. For example, in Surah Ma’idah, Verse 33 !ْ'ِ �ْ-ُ�ُSُ0ِ-ْ� َوَأْرIِ0َْأ Mَ�/;�ُ��ا َأْوCْ�َن 2�ِ اHَ8ْ0َ0َ! 0َُ��ِر�9َُن ا��َ� َوَرُ��َ�ُ� َو�ِإ��َ:� Sََ اُء ا��ِ

)��(2 ا`ِ\َ�ِة َ�َ�اٌب َ�ِ��ٌ� ِ\Xٍف َأْو ْ0ُ�Nَْ�ا ِ'َ! اCْرِض َذWَ�ِ َ�ُ-ْ� ِ\ْ ٌي 2�ِ ا�I]ْ�َ�� َوَ�ُ-ْ� ِ�

33. the Recompense of those who wage war against Allâh and his Messenger and do mischief In the land is Only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off on the opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. that is their disgrace In This world, and a great torment is Theirs In the Hereafter. If someone were to carry out this punishment just using the Qur’an, they would not know where to cut from, which hand to cut, how much the person must steal to cut the hand, etc. The Sunnah is required for further explanation. An argument raised by the Qur’aniyoon and the Orientalists is that “the ahadeeth are of questionable validity, so we need to take everything back to Qur’an only. The religion is based on certainty.” To refute this argument, we must expound upon the validity of Qur’an and Hadith:

The Qur’an comes to us in a form of transmission known as Tawaatur. Tawaatur is a term found in the study of Mustalah that refers to the chains of narrators that have resulted in the preservation of the Qur’an, Hadeeth, and statements of scholars. Specifically, tawaatur means the existence of so many chains of narrators coming consecutively and continually through so many different sources that it becomes inconceivable to reject, even if someone wanted to reject the authenticity. An example should help us better understand this concept: We know about the Hurricane Katrina hitting Louisiana. However, most of us didn’t see it. Most of us were not at the scene but instead we heard about it. If someone were to come us and say that Hurricane Katrina was a lie and it didn’t actually happen, we would not believe them. We would insist it was true because it came from us from so many sources, not only from CNN and news media, but also from the people who left the area and our relatives that are there, and the discussions at work and school, etc. There simply were so many sources of this event that it is impossible to deny the event. Our minds won’t let us believe that Hurricane Katrina never happened. Another example: If someone said that I reject Abraham Lincoln as a person real person who ever lived. One would never be able to accept this claim because there have been so many narrations of him being alive from so many different sources, in different ways, and in different times and places. There is no remote possibility that Abraham Lincoln never existed. These two examples should illustrate the idea of tawaatur. The existence of Abraham Lincoln and Hurricane Katrina has reached us by way of tawaatur. So many sources reached us concerning their existence that it becomes inconceivable to reject their reality. Likewise, the Qur’an has also reached us by way of Tawaatur. Returning to the argument of the Orientalist, because the Qur’an is tawaatur, and many hadeeth are not tawaatur, they say that the hadeeth are not preserved well enough and therefore should be rejected. By following this line of reasoning, the Sunnah is effectively disregarded because the majority of ahadeeth are preserved by way of ahaad narrations (one, two or three chains of narrators).

To refute this point, it must be understood what Allah says in Surah Hijr, Verse 9.

)�(ِإ�� َ�ْ�ُ! َ� �ْ�َ�� ا��ِّْآَ� َوِإ�� َ�ُ� َ�َ��ِ�ُ��َن

9. Verily We: it is we who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'ân) and surely, we will Guard it (from corruption) .

The fact that the Qur’an has been promised to be preserved shows that the Sunnah would have to be preserved as well, because of the dependence of the Qur’an to the Sunnah. In the tafseer of that ayah in fact, some of the scholars even say that the dhikr refers to both the Qur’an and the Sunnah. The preservation of hadeeth is also proven by the simple existence of the study of hadith which this course was about. Mustalah ul-Hadeeth has been devised as a system to authenticate hadeeth and classify them as truly being from the Sunnah of the Prophet �� The Muslims have Mustalah .�� ا� �� و for the purposes of authenticating and preserving ahadeeth, thereby being comfortable with accepting ahaad hadeeth. A third refutation lies in the Seerah (biography) of Prophet Muhammad �� would communicate to �� ا� �� و �� Prophet Muhammad .ا� �� و different kings in neighboring areas via written letters sent with messengers. Oftentimes, one single messenger would deliver a letter to a king. If the messenger of Allah �� knew that only tawaatur �� ا� �� و chains are acceptable to people, then he would certainly have sent many different messengers from different times and places to deliver the same message. But the Messenger of Allah �� himself knew that this �� ا� �� و was not required to authentically preserve a message. A fourth refutation to the rejection of ahaad hadith is that one should continue his own rationale and accept everything which is mutawaatir in the religion. What does this mean? There is ijma’ upon all the traditional scholars of Islam that the hadith are authentic and are used as the second source of legislation in the religion; including the ahaad transmissions. That is, the acceptance of ahaad hadith by the scholars of Islam is mutawaatir.

One can not pick and choose certain elements of the religion that are tawaatur and reject others. This kind of reasoning is inconsistent. Using the same logic that “Islam is based on certainty” Qur’aniyoon and Orientalists present various narrations of an incident to expose the differences in them. In other words, because there are many hadith that have different variations in wording and details coming from different chains of narrators, this must mean that the hadith were not preserved properly. Therefore, Muslims should not act upon this doubtful source of legislation. The refutation of this argument requires some background knowledge. There are many reasons for the differences in narrations. What must be kept in mind is that the differing narrations do not contradict each other in any way. Below is a list summarizing the reasons for the differences in narrations:

Reasons for Variety of Hadith Narration:

1. The Prophet �� might have said the same thing in different �� ا� �� و

ways upon different occasions, locations, or times. 2. The hadith have been narrated in meaning, not necessarily in the

exact phrasing. Subsequently, it is permissible to narrate a hadith in meaning. There are however a few conditions to doing this that will be discussed in later on in this course.

3. A companion might have not been present for an entire hadith and narrated only a part of the event. In other words, a companion heard the Prophet �� say something out of context because of �� ا� �� و his absence at the beginning of the hadith. An example of this is the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah describing when the Prophet �� ا� �� و praying dhuhr and making tasleem after two rakat.

4. An actual mistake made by one of the reporters of the hadith. But

Allah has promised to protect this deen, and He surely has. Allah has provided this ummah with Muhadithoon who have already gone through the work of analyzing and pinpointing where the mistakes have

occurred. And, even if there was a mistake made by a reporter, hadith would still be preserved in meaning. Mistakes by reporters usually include mistakes in the exact wording of hadith. But using point 2, hadith can be narrated in meaning only with conditions.

What do we learn from these reasons for variety in hadith narration? We learn that the Sunnah has been preserved in meaning entirely, with the the Qur’an being preserved in both wording and meaning. Yet another common argument of the Qur’aniyoon is made using the verse from Surah Ma’idah, Verse 3: ُ*�َِّ'Pْ َ�َ�ْ�ُ)ُ� اْ�َ:ْ�َ;Eُ َوا��Iُم َوَ�ْ�ُ� اAِ�ْْ�ِ 0ِ� َوَ'� ُأِه+� aَ�ِْ�ِ� ا��ِ� 9ِِ� َواْ�ُ:ْ�ِAَ�Eُ

Furthermore, this ayah was revealed during the farewell hajj of the Prophet �� We find that ayaat were still being revealed to the Prophet .�� ا� �� و Muhammad �� after this hajj. But we also find that none of �� ا� �� و these ayaat pertain to rules of halaal and haraam. If the Qur’aniyoon argument held any weight, then no verse would have been revealed after the above verse from Surah Ma’idah. But verses still were revealed afterwards. And of course, the authentic tafseer makes sense, because of the fact that no ahkam were revealed after that verse, indicating the the halaal and haraam rules are complete and perfected in the sharia of Islam. Who are these Qur’aniyoon? Regardless of if they have an official organized group or not, the Prophet �� mentioned their�� ا� �� و emergence and characteristic in a descriptive hadeeth.

“There will be a man to whom my hadeeth will reach him, while he is sitting comfortably, and he will say,‘between me and you is the book of Allah, whatever we find in it that is halaal we will make it halaal, and whatever we find in it haraam we will make it haraam.”

[Sunan Tirmidhi, kitab al ‘ilm 38/5] In another narration:

“Do not you let me see you laying on the couch with a full stomach…….” In examining both narrations, we see that the man who reject hadeeth is someone who is living life comfortably and lazily, reclining on a couch, and eats to his hearts content. This shows us that the “Qur’aniyoon” is a man of dunya who simply interested in interpreting the Qur’an according to his own whims and desires. Below are a summary of the Qur’aniyoon arguments commonly used to attack the Sunnah.

Qur’aniyoon Arguments

1. “The Qur’an is from Allah, and the Sunnah is only from a man �� ا� �� ”و

2. “The Sunnah has not been preserved. This Deen is based on certainty.”

3. The Qur’an is complete, perfect, and sufficient for our Deen. Did not you read the verse 5:3 – This day I have perfected your Deen?”

There was an incident of a Sahabi who misunderstood the status of the Sunnah and its relationship to the Qur’an. The hadeeth is narrated below:

Abdullah ibn Masood: Abdullah ibn Abbas said Allah has cursed those who tattoo and those who use wigs and those who split their teeth and those who pluck their eyebrows. When he said that a person from Bani Yassad Umm Yaqoob came by and she said: Oh Ibn Masood I heard you cursed these people. He said why should I not curse those whom the Messenger �� ,has cursed and who Allah has cursed in His book. She said �� ا� �� و I have read the Qur’an from beginning to end and I saw nothing about gaps in your teeth, plucking eyebrows, or tattoos. Ibn Mas’ud said, you have not read properly. She did, but said she still did not see it. He said: Did you not read the ayah: whatever the prophet has given to you take and whatever he has prohibited stay away from. She said: I heard your wife does this. He invited her in to his house, and of course his wife did not do these things. Ibn Masood said if she did any of these things he would not even sleep with her.

When Umm Yaqoob claimed that the prohibition of tattoos, etc. was not in the Qur’an, Ibn Mas’ud referred her to the ayah in Surah Hashr, Verse 7:

��ُ��ِل َوِ�ِ�ي اْ�ُ>9َ�ْ� َواْ�َ�َ;�َ'� َواْ�َ:�8َِآ�ِ! َوا9ِْ! ا��8ِ(�ِ+ َآ2ْ 3 0َُ)�َن َ'� َأَ��َء ا��ُ� َ�َ�� َرُ��ِ�ِ� ِ'ْ! َأْهِ+ اْ�ُ>َ�ى َ�ِ��ِ� َوِ��وُ@ َوَ'� َ�َ-�ُآْ� َ�ْ�ُ� َ��ْ�َ;ُ-�ا َوا?�ُ>�ا ا��َ� ِإن� ا��َ� Iُ0IِJَ اHِ�َْ>�ِب ُAُ�َ ُآُ� ا��ُ��ُل�?َB �'َُ)ْ� َو�َ��ِء ِ'ْ�ِ&ْC9َْ�َ! ا Eً�َُدو)�(

7. what Allâh gave as booty (Fai') to his Messenger (Muhammad Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe Wa Sallam) from the people of the townships, - it is for Allâh, his Messenger (Muhammad Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe Wa Sallam), the kindred (of Messenger Muhammad Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe Wa Sallam), the orphans, AlXMasâkin (the poor), and the wayfarer, In order that it may not become a fortune used by the rich among you. and whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe Wa Sallam) gives you, take it, and whatsoever He forbids you, abstain (from it) , and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe In punishment.

Thereafter, she was corrected and made to understand how the Qur’an itself orders us to follow the Sunnah.

Sunnah: Its Place in Relation to the Qur’an is of Three Types

1. Confirming Sunnah – This is a type of Sunnah that confirms what is in the Qur’an, restates it, and reinforces it. An example of this is ahadeeth regarding usury and interest. Ayah: Hadeeth

2. Explanatory Sunnah – This type of Sunnah refers to the Sunnah that further explains some of the more ambiguous orders found in the Holy Qur’an. There are numerous examples of this type. One simple example is found in the verse of wudhu. Notice how the details for how to perform wudu are not specified in the Qur’an. Instead, they are found in in hadith.

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An example of this are haraam types of meat. Eating donkey is haraam, but the prohibition is not found in the Qur’an. It is instead found in the sunnah. Hadith: The Messenger of Allah �� forbade of us from any �� ا� �� و animal that preys with its fangs or talons. Examples: lions, tigers, hawks, eagles, etc.

Are there hadith that contradict the Sunnah? Should we designate a fourth category for this type of Sunnah and call it “Contradictory Sunnah?” The answer is, no real examples exist of actual hadith contradicting Qur’an. There cannot be, since they are both revelation from Allah. Likewise, the Qur’an nor the Sunnah contradict logic and reason as long as the person is sane. The one who created our brains also sent down the Book and the Hikmah. Some scholars for the purposes of theoretical categorization add this fourth category of “Contradictory Sunnah.” So which carries more legislative weight, the Qur’an or Sunnah? Scholars have divided into three opinions regarding this issue. The condition is that the Sunnah of concern has been proven to be authentic and acceptable.

1. The Qur’an has more legislative than the Sunnah. This opinion is held by Imam Abu Hanifa, and others.

2. The Qur’an is equal in legislation to the Sunnah. This opinion is held by Imam Ahmed, and the majority of the scholars.

3. The Qur’an has less legislative weight than the Sunnah. This is a minority opinion held by very few scholars, and implicitly held by others. Imam al-Awzai was a scholar who held this opinion.

*For all intensive purposes, we choose to stick with the majority opinion and state that The Qur’an and the Sunnah are equal in terms of legislation. As proof for this, the Prophet ��ا� �� said in a hadeeth in Sunan Abi �� و Dawood: “Indeed I have been given the book and with it the same (the Sunnah)’ (Shaykh al-Albani confirmed this narration as Saheeh)

To conclude this section, know that it is impossible to apply the Qur’an without the Sunnah. Allah says,

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32. Say (O Muhammad): "Obey Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad)." but if they turn back, Then Allâh does not like the disbelievers.

The Prophet �� .said, Pray as you see me pray �� ا� �� و How can you fulfill the pillars of Islam without the Sunnah? How would you know how to pray? How would you know the regulations of giving charity? How would you perform Hajj? All this is detailed in the Sunnah.

PROPHET MUHAMMAD �� و �� ا ��: The Teacher ****Mustalah Concept: When talking about chains of narration, the chain always starts with the collecter of the hadith (i.e. Bukhari,

Muslim). The end of the chain is Prophet Muhammad �� or ,�� ا� �� و in the cases of Hadith Qudsi, the end of the chain is Allah. So in Mustalah ul-Hadith, the chains of reporters go opposite of chronological order. Prophet Muhammad �� was the best of all teachers. We will �� ا� �� و insha’Allah learn this in this section. A Sahabi, Muawiyah ibn al-Hakam said,

“I have never seen a teacher before him or after him better in teaching than he.” And in another narration,

“I have never seen any teacher more kind than the Prophet ا� �� و ��.” One of the Prophet’s �� primary jobs as a Messenger was to �� ا� �� و teach his nation. The proof of this is found both in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

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62:2. It is He who has sent amongst the unlettered an apostle from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them In Scripture and Wisdom,- although They had been, before, In Manifest error;-

Hadith: “Allah did not send me to cause hardship or to be a hardship but he has sent me as a teacher and a person that brings ease.” The best job a person can have is that of a teacher because that is the job of the best of people, of the messengers and prophets. It truly is an honorable profession, one that follows in the footsteps of the greatest

people who ever lived. Not only the prophets, but the scholars of Islam follow this path as well. Also, by assuming the role of teaching, you receive the reward of you students’ actions, simply because you taught them. The more students you have, and the more they act upon their knowledge, the more reward you will receive. So what made the Prophet �� such an excellent teacher? The �� ا� �� و following lists some of the attributes and characteristics the prophet utilized in his instruction. 1. A Keen desire of goodness for the students. (i.e. the sahabah)

This includes his sincere desire to save us from the Hell-fire. The Prophet �� :is reported to have said �� ا� �� و

“the example of myself and the example of all of you is like insects when they see a fire, they are attracted to the fire and rush towards it about to get burned, and I’m trying to hold onto your waists to pull you away and stop you.’ In the Hadith of Abu Dhar, we see how the Prophet ا� ��

�� .only wanted the best for his students �� و Hadeeth: Prophet �� ا� �� و said: Oh Abu Dharr! I see that you are weak and I love for you what I love for myself so if someone approaches you to take a position of leadership, do not take it. Abu Dharr was known for his piety, prayed all night and fasted every day. Salman al-Farsi was partnered with Abu Dharr. Before the verses of the hijab were revealed, Salman asked Umm Dharr, the wife of Abu Dharr, “Why do not you beautify yourself for your husband?” She replied that he did not have time or care for her. Salman complained to the Prophet �� ا� �� و and he called Abu Dharr. “Oh Abu Dharr, your Lord has a right upon you, your wife and family have a right upon you, and your body has right upon you, so give each one its right.”

Because the Prophet �� knew Abu Darr was not meant for �� ا� �� و leadership. He was a pious man that would focus on his ibadah, so much so that his wife complained. What makes the Prophet �� so sincere and great is the fact that �� ا� �� و he wants to save his entire ummah from the hellfire. This is despite the fact he has never even met us. He loves all of us, �� .�� ا� �� و 2. Kindness and Mercy to his students.

Allah (swt) Himself attested to this in Surah Taubah.

“Indeed a messenger has come from amongst you. Whatever hardship that you face also he feels it. He desires good for us, he is very kind and Merciful to the believers.” The Prophet �� made a statement concerning the blessings of �� ا� �� و kindness in all things. Hadeeth: Indeed Allah is Kind and loves kindness in all affairs, anytime there is kindness it will beautify it, and when kindness is removed it will make it defective. The Prophet �� would play with the children in the market �� ا� �� و Hadeeth: Anas ibn Malik: Anytime I looked at the Prophet �� he ,�� ا� �� و used to smile at me. The Prophet �� used to call Anas, Ya Bunay �� ا� �� و meaning, Oh my dear son.

Amr ibn al-‘Aas: Whenever the Prophet �� would look at the �� ا� �� و people he would smile, and whenever he looked at me he would smile, to the point where I thought I was his favorite. I went to the Prophet ا� �� و �� and asked who was better, Abu Bakr or himself, and he said Abu Bakr. Then I asked, who is better, ‘Umar or myself? He said ‘Umar. Then Amr realized it was the manner of the Prophet �� .�� ا� �� و

From this Hadith, we learn to speak to every person as if they are your favorite student. Jareer ibn Abdillah al Bajalee: The Prophet �� never prevented �� ا� �� و me from seeing him from the time I became Muslim and he never looked at me except that he smiled at me. We have many reports that the Prophet �� would always smile at �� ا� �� و everybody. What is the wisdom of smiling? Smiling is something reaches the heart. It is Sadaqah and you are being rewarded for it. Notice that when you smile at somebody, it does not matter what you say, except that it will not be taken offensively. This is because non-verbal communication comprises the majority of what you actually say. The words that come out are surprisingly much less in importance compared to the non-verbal communication, such as the facial expressions, the tone of voice, etc. Part of the kindness of Prophet Muhammad �� was that he did �� ا� �� و not criticize people. Whenever someone would ask something of the Prophet �� .he would never say no if he was able to do it ,�� ا� �� و Anas ibn Malik: I served the Prophet �� for nine years and he �� ا� �� و never said to me why did you do this or that or why didn’t you do this or that. 3. Hikmah (wisdom)

This attribute is something that is not as easy to develop in yourself. It is something that requires a lot of experience, and often times it is a gift from Allah. The Prophet �� had much hikmah in his teaching of the �� ا� �� و Sahabah. One of the amazing displays of Hikmah in teaching is found in the Hadith of the bedoin.

A Bedouin came to the masjid and urinated in the masjid. Everyone started scolding him but the Prophet �� .said let him finish �� ا� �� و Then he said the masjid is for prayer, Qur’an, and remembering Allah. So the Bedouin prayed “Oh Allah, have mercy on me and the Prophet and no one else.” And the Prophet �� said, “Would you constrict the �� ا� �� و mercy of Allah?”

The Hikmah comes in the fact that the Prophet �� took the �� ا� �� و lifestyle of the Bedouin into account. To the Bedouins, the entire desert was a bathroom; one would simply go to the left or right. The Bedoin was simply ignorant of the etiquettes of the Masjid. And when He spoke with such gentleness, the Bedouin was receptive to the advice. Imagine what we would do if such an event happened in our times. May Allah increase us in Hikmah. Ameen.

4. Humbleness

The Prophet �� exuded humbleness in all times and places, Even �� ا� �� و though he was the undisputed leader of Arabia. In teaching specifically, we have examples of the Prophet’s �� humbleness shown with his �� ا� �� و companions. A stranger came to the Prophet �� during a Khutba and asked �� ا� �� و about Islam. The Prophet �� said, bring me a chair. A companion �� ا� �� و brought him two chairs, one for the stranger and one for the Prophet ا� �� و �� ا� �� and the Prophet ,�� و left the khutba and began to teach him his religion sitting outside the masjid. Then he returned to the khutba. The Prophet �� was not doing something more important when he �� ا� �� و was on the mimbar giving the khutbah. Out of his humbleness, the Prophet �� .stepped down and gave individual instruction to the stranger �� ا� �� و One important lesson we take from this hadith is that we as Muslims should be humble with and give full attention to new muslims to teach them the basics of the religion. We should not feel that there are more important people to be around then these new muslims who are in need of us to help them. 5. Capitalization on a Questioners Curiosity

What does this mean? In simpler terms, the Prophet ا� �� و would, when asked a question, answer the question and add some more info. The wisdom behind this lays in the fact that any person who is comes to you with

a question will be more receptive to information than someone who is not curious. Consider the following hadith: "Oh Messenger of Allah, we ride a ship, and we have little water. If we drink from the water, it's all we have. Can we make wudhu from the seawater? "Yes, the seawater is pure and everything that dies in it is halaal for you to eat." Notice how the Prophet �� not only answered the question of the �� ا� �� و seawater being pure, but he added a relative piece of information regarding the permissibility of eating dead animals from it. Questions from curious students are good opportunities to give extra information that will benefit those inquiring minds. 6. Speaking with Knowledge

The Prophet �� would never speak on something he did not know �� ا� �� و or was unsure of. One time Jabir ibn Abdullah asked the Prophet �� about �� ا� �� و inheritance and the Prophet �� remained quiet and waited until �� ا� �� و Allah revealed the answer in the Qur’an.

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11. Allâh commands You as regards Your children's (inheritance); to the male, a portion equal to that of two females; if (there are) Only daughters, two or more, their share is two thirds of the inheritance; if Only one, her share is half. for parents, a sixth share of inheritance to each if the deceased left children; if no children, and the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased left brothers or (sisters), the mother has a sixth. (the distribution In All cases is) after the payment of legacies He may have bequeathed or debts. You know not which of them, whether Your parents or Your children, are nearest to You In benefit, (these fixed shares) are ordained by Allâh. And Allâh is ever AllXKnower, AllXWise.

Because the Prophet �� was not sure, he did not respond until �� ا� �� و revelation was sent down to him. Speaking without knowledge is a major sin in Islam.

Hadith: “A person, who speaks without knowledge, even if they are correct, will always be sinful.”

How can this be? Consider the example of two physicans. The first is a doctor who got a fake practiconers certificate and who lied on his resume to get employment in a hospital. This man by chance saved a life by randomly selecting the correct procedure. The second man is an actual doctor who went through medical school and honestly earned the certificate to practice medicine. But with his patient, he made a mistake in prescription and the patient died. If the two doctor’s backgrounds were investigated, the fake doctor would be put in jail and the the real doctor would not be even prosecuted. This is despite the fact that the fake doctor saved a life and the real doctor’s patient died. The means by which the two situations arose is what counted in this situation. Likewise, in the case of speaking without knowledge, even if the answer is correct, Allah will mark it down as a major sin, because of the actual act of speaking with ignorance. And likewise, the mujtahid who has the knowledge will get rewarded even if he is incorrect. Hadith: “If a scholar makes correct ijtihad he will receive two rewards and if he is wrong he still receive one reward.” Let’s examine how some of the sahabah and ulamah approached this sin of speaking without knowledge.

Abu Bakr said, “What earth will hold me and what sky will cover me if I say in the book of Allah something I do not know.”

Imam Malik: Saying ‘I don’t know’ is the shield for your knowledge. If you don’t use your shield you will be destroyed.

Imam Malik also said that saying, “I don’t know” is ½ of knowledge. In other words, to understand what you don’t know is knowledge in and of itself. This is because most people don’t even know what they don’t know, which is ignorance. The other half is to seek out the knowledge that you don’t know. Imam Maalik was once approached by a man who had traveled all the way from Andaluz to specifically meet Imam Malik and ask him questions. Out of 40 questions asked, Imam Malik said, “La Adri” to 36-38 of them. The questioner was annoyed with the responses of Imam Malik and Imam Malik told the questioner to go announce to his people that “Imam Malik does not know!” Imam ash-Shafi’ee was asked what he heard his shaykh Imam Malik say the most. He replied, I heard him say I don’t know the most. In general, the scholars would always redirect questions to someone more knowledgeable if available. The lesson that we take from these scholars is that we should treat questions as a freight train heading straight for us. It is best to avoid because of the risk involved with saying something without knowledge. Only answer questions that you know the answer to. Otherwise, be comfortable with saying “I don’t know.” In today’s society however, Sheikh Abdulbary Yahya describes to us the reality of knowledge and the people of it. The world is plagued with misguiding leaders and imams. They are misguiding people be speaking without knowledge. And if you were to say “I don’t know” so much, the people will out of ignorance go to the people who do give answers. So in situations such as this, it’s probably better to say something along the lines of, “Let me research that and get back to you tomorrow.”

7. Informal Teaching

A common misundersta

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